HGd10PHB - Spell Aspect - Focus
Focus - Aspect A spell focus is like a Material Component, however it is not consumed in the casting of the spell. Instead, the focus is used to increase the quality of the spell cast or as an anchor to help cast more difficult spells. There is a chance that a focus can be consumed accidentally in a casting. There is also the opportunity to use up a focus to significantly enhance the spell. Each focus pertains to a specific Spectrum and only works with spells of that spectrum. Worldshards are a type of focus specific to the Primal Spectra on Loar. Primary Characteristic = None. Secondary Characteristic = None. DS to Learn The potency of the focus available to the caster is determined by a Basic Skill roll (Magecraft or Spiritualism). The percentage of spell cost reduction is equal to this roll -10. E.g. Amirith wants to create a spell that requires a focus that would reduce the difficulty cost by 15%. He rolls his Magecraft roll and gets a 27. He can now use a focus that will reduce difficulty costs by up to 17% (27-10). Spell Construction Focus Enhancement A focus can be used to enhance a spell during casting. This means that the focus use is optional for the spell and does not affect its initial cost to create/learn the spell. Quality of the focus is a measure of a number of different properties of that focus, but for game mechanics, that quality is distilled down to its intrinsic monetary value (as opposed to appraised, advertised, or other type of value). For every 100 chrusil value of the focus, a +1 modifier can be added to the roll for the Spell check. For every 500 chrusil value, a 1d10 can be added. This is only true if the spell does not already require a certain value of focus to be used. See Required Value below. Focus to Reduce Difficulty Cost to Learn If a focus is required by the spell, it has one of two purposes. First, a focus of a certain value can reduce the difficulty cost of a Spell during construction. For every 100 value of the focus, the Spell Cost is reduced by 1%. For example, a spell that has a difficulty to learn of 100 adds a requirement for a focus of not less than 300 chrusil. The difficulty cost of that Spell is now 97. A focus may not reduce the cost for construction below 30% of its original cost, but may be used in conjunction with components to further reduce the cost. Required Value When a Spell requires a focus of a certain value, the difference between the required value and the actual value of the focus used to cast the Spell can be applied to enhancing the Spell as cast. For example, if a Spell requires a 100 chrusil focus, but a 250 chrusil focus is used, then 100 of that value can be used to add a +1 to the Spell check. Consuming a Focus If a caster desires, they can consume the focus with the casting of the spell to significantly boost the power of the spell. The spell is cast (rolled) as normal, but for every 100 chrusil value of the focus when sacrificed, 1 dice can be made into a natural 10 (and thus rerolled normally) starting with the lowest dice first. For example, a Spell is cast using a 500 chrusil focus. It only requires a 200 chrusil focus so the other 300 are used to add 2d10 to the already 6d10+4 of the roll. When the dice are rolled, they come up 1, 3, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Since the focus was sacrificed to enhance the spell, five of the dice get counted as 10s and may be rerolled to add more value. So the new dice value are 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 8, 9, 10. Six of those dice get to be rerolled and come up as 1, 4, 4, 5, 8, 10. Rerolling the last dice again it turns up a 3. The total value of the roll then is 116 (don't forget to add the +4 at the end!). Mounting a Focus A focus can be mounted on equipment like any other gem. This makes the gem considered available for casting while not having to hold it in the caster's hand. However, if the focus is consumed, there is the possibility that the equipment the focus is mounted on will be destroyed or damaged. For every 100 chrusil value of the focus, roll 1d10 versus the Crafted Value of the equipment. If the difference is higher for the roll, the equipment is destroyed. If the difference is lower, divide the roll by 2 and that is the damage done to the equipment. Traits and Foibles can further modify the nature and use of foci. Navigation Aspects * Casting Time * Duration * Endurance * Intensity * Number of Targets * Other * Range * Shape * Focus * Verbal Component * Somatic Component * Material Component Main Index * [[HGD10|'Hero's Guild Players Handbook Home']] * Chapter 1 - Creature Kinds * Chapter 2 - Base Characteristics * Chapter 3 - Skills * Chapter 4 - Traits and Foibles * Chapter 5 - Physical Combat Skills * Chapter 6 - Mystical Skills * Chapter 7 - Equipment * Chapter 8 - Crafting * Chapter 9 - Knowledge Social and Movement Skills * Chapter 10 - Optional Classes * Chapter 11 - Rules of Engagement